RAG Token Cost Calculator
Isolate the token portion of RAG cost. Enter queries and tokens in/out with blended rate.
Queries per month
Input+retrieved / query
Output / query
Blended $/1M
Monthly = queries × (in+out) ÷ 1M × blended $/1M.
Live estimate
- Tokens / query
- 1,900
- M tokens / month
- 114.00
- Monthly token cost
- $114.00
- Per query
- $0.00
RAG token benchmarks
Retrieval dominates: 1,500 retrieved vs 400 generated is typical.
| Mix | Tokens/query | 60K queries |
|---|---|---|
| Lean (800+300) | 1,100 | $66 |
| Standard (1500+400) | 1,900 | $114 |
| Deep (3000+600) | 3,600 | $216 |
Frequently asked questions
- How is rag token cost calculated?
- Monthly = queries × (in+out) ÷ 1M × blended $/1M. Retrieval dominates: 1,500 retrieved vs 400 generated is typical.
- What inputs do I need for the rag token cost calculator?
- Enter queries per month, input+retrieved / query, output / query, blended $/1m. Defaults reflect typical 2026 usage; replace them with your own vendor quote or last month of logs for an exact figure.
- What is a typical rag token cost benchmark?
- 60K queries × 1,900 tokens at $1/1M costs $114/month in tokens.
- How to cut RAG tokens?
- Lower top-k, compress passages, and cache frequent queries — in that order.
- How can I lower my rag token cost?
- Cut volume waste first (shorter durations, fewer retries, tighter prompts), then route to cheaper tiers for drafts, enable caching/batch where available, and cap per-user or per-job spend with alerts. Re-run the calculator after each change to size the saving.
- Is this calculator free?
- Free forever, no sign-up, runs 100% in your browser. Copy results or export CSV for your budget doc.